The lawless walk
by RiddleMeThis15
Summary: Sequel to The Finches of London. Rachel is reunited with the professor and Luke after discovering something that could bring London crashing down. Lies, shocking truths and horrifying events will test the professor and Luke to their limits.Hang on to your top hats, this is going to be an adventure fraught with danger. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I'm back! After a long battle with writers block I triumphed and here I am. May I present to you the sequel to The Finches of London. Please review and tell me what you think, or if you have any ideas for the fic or any other future fics, I'd love to hear them!.**

**Hope you enjoy this first chapter, it is a little small but I just wanted to set the scene :)**

**RiddleMeThis15 x**

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><p>It wasn't like the movies. There was no ear splitting screech as the tree tore through the windscreen, shattering it into a glass spiderweb. Branches grabbed at me like the arms of hungry cannibals. It was just noise. A horrid, haunting, terrible noise that demanded to be heard. To be felt. I was losing control of the car, its tyres screaming against the road... or were those cries my own? I couldn't tell. The world was a bloody mess, broken into fragments that pierced my skin, setting my nerves alight. Suddenly air rushed into my lungs and I was thrown forward, a pain like nothing I had ever felt erupted in my skull as it crunched into the steering wheel. The impact knocked me into a dizzy haze, the world dissolving around me. Sirens blared out in the distance like a pack of wolves and I vaguely registered a warm, thick, liquid dripping down my forehead.<p>

I retched as the taste of copper permeated in my mouth and the smell of petrol crawled up my nostrils. I should have been frightened. I should have been panicking. But even as the flames swept over my form, a strange calm settled on my shoulders .It shrouded the logical thoughts of a dying mortal. Shadows expanded rapidly towards me, carrying me away from absoluteness. With my last ounce of strength I blearily slid a pale, no doubt broken, hand into my pocket and placed an envelope on the wrecked seat next to me. Deep red blood stains seeped into the paper, but the inked name on the front did not fade...Professor Layton. He was the only one whom I could turn to now. Everything else was crumbling and rotting around me, a dead, poisoned apple.

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><p><strong>AN Dun dun dunn! Make sure you review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Meh. Not sure how I feel about this chapter. But hey, I tried and it's one of those chapters that needs to be in so that the story makes sense. Please don't forget to review, as always I'm eager to hear any suggestions you might have for this fic or any future fics!**

**RiddleMeThis15 :) x**

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><p>Strolling down the bustling London streets, the professor tipped his hat to an elderly lady with a generous smile. He simply enjoyed being around people, the politeness of everyone and the excited atmosphere only the capital offered. It was a stark contrast to where he had lived as a young man, a modest countryside town called stansbury. The grand architecture of London was no match to the delicate, fragrant meadows of his hometown. Part of him sometimes longed to feel the fresh grass beneath his feet, grass that was completely different to the precisely located parks, as pretty as they were. He beamed to himself, yes, he would go back there someday. But first he had a loyal apprentice to collect.<p>

Several kind remarks later, he stood at the gates of 'Lakewood Primary school' the bell ringing on time. Children streamed out of the door, shouting about their day before even arriving at their parents. The professor scanned the crowd for the blue-capped boy. Luke soon clambered through the doorway and when he caught sight of the professor he waved cheerfully, almost tripping over in his elation.

"Professor!" He exclaimed, waving his satchel around "You came to pick me up today!"

"Yes," Layton began to walk in time with the boy "I only had some papers to mark and, surprisingly, they didn't take long at all"

Luke grinned before turning his head when a dark haired boy tapped him on the shoulder.

"Luke?" The boy quietly asked him, ringing nervous hands and glancing between his shoes and Luke's face.

"What is it Archie?"

"Er...Ms Wells said that you forgot this,"

Luke took a small blue book from Archie. Its pages were covered in ink, paint and tea stains._Exactly how a gentleman's notebook should appear_, Luke thought.

"Oh, thanks Archie! See you tomorrow!"

Archie nodded quickly before scurrying off to his mother. Layton watched with a content smile on his face "A friend of yours Luke?"

"Yeah, he's new here.I've been teaching him puzzles professor,"

"Haha, I'm glad to hear that Luke"

The two walked in a companionable silence towards home, occasionally throwing the odd puzzle between them or commenting on various market stalls.

But as they made their way through oak field park, the silence was shattered without warning. A tremendous explosion ripped through the streets and sent dust pouring from the rooftops. Windows hammered against the onslaught,lampposts wobbled and people huddled together in clusters. Startled, the professor and Luke stopped in their tracks.

"What on Earth was that?!" The professor gasped, immediately sprinting in the direction the horrific sound had come followed closely behind, equally as worried as his friend.A thousand scenarios of what could make such a crescendo of noise ran through his mind, each one just as terrifying as the next. Ahead of them, through a cloud of inky smoke, crowds had begun to gather. Panicked shouts arose from the destruction.

"What happened?!"

"Someone call an ambulance! There's a woman inside there!"

"Is she ok? Hello are you ok?"

"She's bleeding!"

The professor frowned, concern etched on his face "It appears someone has been hurt"

Their fears had been confirmed.

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><p>The wailing of sirens soon filled the park. As if on autopilot, the crowds parted to allow the ambulance through. Paramedics rushed in and out of the vehicle, brandishing various instruments and medicine. Some addressed the onlookers, searching for any information on what had occurred. Luke and the professor stood back from the scene, too anxious to speak. Things like this were a rarity. Luke couldn't help but feel an immense sense of sorrow for whoever was trapped in the car. They probably hadn't seen the tree until it was too late. <em>What must it be like?<em> Luke wondered, _to see danger_ _and know that it is beyond your _ _luck rules over logic in that moment_ _before impact_. He shook his head as if to empty it. He was glad when police arrived, in a formation of blue and red, with one car speeding ahead of the others. The professor peered closely as the car raced to a stop, its door swinging dramatically open, a figure striding out. The man's shadow alone cast an air of authority.

The professor noticed the officer "Is that?" He breathed.

DCI Jack Hillmore turned to his team "Get these people out of here, gather as many witnesses as possible and question them."

A chorus of 'Yes Guv' replied back to him. Satisfied, the guv raced through the gathered and headed straight for the wrecked car, "Rachel? Rachel are you alright?"

Luke piped up "Professor! It must be DI Waterstone in there!"

The professor however, upon hearing the DCI's shouts, had already made his way to the crashed car. Luke soon joined him, a sickening feeling rising in his gut as he saw the battered and bruised form of Rachel Waterstone.

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><p><strong>AN Thanks for reading!...Review? :) x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Sorry for the long wait! I've had some mock exams recently because those of higher authority need to remind us forgetful teenagers that we are in fact...in school. Shocking right? Anyways...onwards and upwards! :)**

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><p>Words nor sound tumbled from anyone's lips. What was there to say?. A somber silence was all that seemed appropriate, accompanied by the tree's branches snapping as the wreck settled to a stop. Quietly, dust fell from the shredded tyres and returned to the ground it had been ripped from. Even the birds did not sing.<p>

The car was no longer recognisable, reduced to a twisted cage of mangled metal that Rachel was trapped in. As for her she was slumped over the steering wheel, blood sprayed across her expressionless face. Lines of the crimson liquid streamed down her once white shirt and pooled on the seat around her.A dizzying amount of blood. The professor wore a grim expression, holding his hat and muttering to himself. Grime and oil coated Rachel's pale skin, bruises of every colour snaked along her neck and her chestnut hair was matted, tangled in metal. Her legs were enveloped by the tree she had collided with. Red leaves littered the ground around the car. They had not been red before. The most horrifying thing about her however, was that she was still. Perfectly still.

The Guv was staggering near the ambulance. His face was a deathly shade and his clothes were crumpled. Bloodshot eyes roamed everywhere but the crash site. In his hand was a leather lined flask that he continued to drink from. Luke watched him and realised- Jack wasn't even aware that he was drinking it. The professor turned away from the sight, holding a comforting arm around his friend. Normally, the professor would be the first to try and help wherever he could. But even gentlemen knew when it was time to let the professionals take control. After all, he wouldn't know where to start. The boy shuffled his feet and in a quiet voice, that the professor had to strain to hear, muttered "Will...will Rachel be alright?"

Hanging his head, the professor squeezed Luke's shoulder "I don't know Luke but...I certainly hope so"

A cracked voice broke through the pair's conversation "Layton...is that you?"

The professor lifted his gaze "Hello Jack,"

"What are you doing here?"

"We heard the commotion and rushed over here straight away.I am sorry about Rachel's accident"

The Guv's face darkened like clouds on a stormy day and he leaned closer "That...wasn't an accident,"

The professor could smell the alcohol on his breath but ignored it, waiting for him to continue. Swaying slightly, the DCI sighed and pressed an envelope into Layton's chest.A blood stained envelope.

"Read this" he slurred "Then meet me at tower bridge, 4'oclock on the dot"

The man then looked around him before he stumbled away and into the ambulance that Rachel was being lifted into. Luke rubbed his hands anxiously together, as if his thoughts were objects he could roll around and mould in his palms. He tugged gently at the professor's sleeve "What does it say?"

His mentor was in deep thought, eyebrows knitted together as he ran his hands along the opening, grimacing at the blood stains. The professor seemed to delay before answering "Lets go home. It may be better to read this there."

And the boy didn't argue, he simply trailed behind his mentor, glancing back one final time to see the ambulance's doors swing shut.

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><p><strong>AN Review? :)**


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